German exports unexpectedly dropped in August, hit by a fifth straight decline in shipments to the United States, official data showed Thursday, as the tariffs blitz takes a toll.
Overall exports were down 0.5 per cent from the previous month, according to provisional data from federal statistics agency Destatis.
Analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet had expected an increase of 0.3 per cent.
Exports to the United States were down 2.5 per cent, dropping to 10.9 billion euros ($12.7 billion), their lowest level since November 2021.
Compared to August 2024, exports to the world鈥檚 top economy were down about 20 per cent.
US president Donald Trump and the European Union in July struck a deal setting most tariffs on EU goods at 15 per cent 鈥� far higher than before Trump鈥檚 return to power this year.
The levies are hitting export power Germany particularly hard as the United States is a major destination for its goods, ranging from cars to pharmaceuticals.
They have added to headwinds for Europe鈥檚 biggest economy, which is struggling to recover from a long downturn due to a manufacturing slump and weak demand in key markets.
In total, Germany exported goods worth 129.7 billion euros in August.
Imports dropped 1.3 per cent on the previous month to a value of 112.5 billion euros, with most coming from China.
The trade surplus widened to 17.2 billion euros.